Ancient & Modern Japan

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4.8 Based on 41 Reviews

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duration 14 days
tour type Small group Request as private
age requirement 16-95 yrs
max group size 16
guiding method Fully guided
Tour Code BM-7527
Footprint Carbonneutral CO₂ emissions resulting from all trips on Bookmundi will be offset via investments in carbon reduction projects.
Operated in English

Starts Kyoto, Japan
Ends Tokyo, Japan

HIGHLIGHTS Download trip notes

Spot geishas in the Gion district of Kyoto
Experience cherry blossom season or beautiful autumn colours
Take the incredible high-speed bullet train
Explore temples in Kyoto and discover futuristic Tokyo

Starting in Kyoto and ending in Tokyo, the "Ancient & Modern Japan" trip is a guided food trip that takes 14 days. You will travel through Hiroshima, Matsumoto, Takayama and 3 other destinations in Japan. "Ancient & Modern Japan" is a small group trip which includes accommodation, transport, meals and others.

Ancient wooden temples, raked-gravel Zen gardens and chanting Buddhist monks juxtaposed with space-age towers, neon lights and bullet trains; the blend of old and new in Japan is captivating. As we explore the southern and western stretches of Honshu, the largest island in Japan, we discover unique culture among the serene shrines and gardens of Nara and Kyoto and the rarely visited mountainous heartland of castles and spas. Our last stop is the vast and futuristic capital city of Tokyo: sprawling, inimitably busy, welcoming and extraordinary.

ITINERARY Expand All

Day 1: Start Kyoto
Day 2: Visit Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) and Ryoan-ji temple; followed by Nishiki Market and historic Gion
Day 3: Day trip to Nara, ancient capital of Japan. Visit impressive Unesco temples including Todai-ji, housing the largest bronze statue of the Buddha in the world
Day 4: Free day in Kyoto; relax in one of the many Zen gardens, walk the popular Philosopher’s Path or experience a traditional tea ceremony
Day 5: Day trip to Hiroshima; visit Peace Memorial Park and the pretty island of Miyajima
Day 6: Travel from Kyoto to Takayama, a traditional old town set amid the Japanese Alps; visit the Hida Folk Village
Day 7: Orientation tour in Takayama and free day to explore the peaceful shrines and temples
Day 8: On to the medieval village of Tsumago; short leisurely walk on the Nakasendo trail; train to Matsumoto
Day 9: Visit Matsumoto Castle and travel by train to the spa town of Yudanaka; soak in a hot spring
Day 10: See the much-loved snow monkeys before travelling by train to Tokyo; evening orientation tour
Day 11: Optional trip to Hakone or to the lovely seaside town of Kamakura
Day 12: A full-day city tour of Tokyo, including the Senso-ji Temple
Day 13: Free day for further exploration; optional karaoke farewell night
Day 14: End Tokyo

WHAT'S INCLUDED

All transport and listed activities
All accommodation
3 breakfasts and 3 dinners
Group arrival transfer (for group flight)
Free departure transfer by shuttle service (must be booked in advance before trip commences with Exodus and is subject to availability)
Japan Rail Pass

WHAT'S EXCLUDED

Travel insurance
Single accommodation- (limited availability & on request)- 10 nights only at hotels in Kyoto, Matsumoto and Tokyo
Visas or vaccinations

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

4.8 - Excellent

Based on 41 reviews

Anonymous
On May 07 2019

5 - Excellent

Japan. Ancient and Modern

A superb trip, exploring a wide variety of destinations and experiences. Very stimulating. Wonderful to travel on public transport. I never expected to see and do so much. I loved the traditional wooden buildings / hotels we... Read more

Anonymous
On Apr 30 2019

5 - Excellent

Konichiwa and arigato!

This trip exceeded expectations in many ways - incredibly well-organised with a good balance between group activities and private exploration. The breadth of Japanese culture, both ancient and modern, was well covered, the... Read more

Anonymous
On Apr 29 2019

5 - Excellent

Fascinating experience!

You really couldnt pack any more into 2 weeks! We walked round cities (lot of walking), visited temples, shrines, markets, gardens and castles and saw beautiful scenery from the trains. Our guide was very helpful and... Read more

Anonymous
On Apr 18 2019

5 - Excellent

Fabulous, well paced trip to see the best of ancient and modern Japan

This was a bucket list trip for me and I was really pleased with the pace and the amount we covered in two weeks. The travel dates that I chose were specifically to see the blossoms and although they were late this year, we were... Read more

Read more reviews

REQUEST A PRIVATE, CUSTOMIZABLE DEPARTURE By design, this is a group tour. You can however request a private, customized version of this tour for yourself or your private group of people. Private departures are usually more expensive, but come with these benefits:

Personal Itinerary can be tweaked and customized.
Protected Travel within your own bubble.
Professional Access our Travel Specialists' insider knowledge.
Privacy Enjoy a tour focused solely on you or your travel group.

Request a private and/or personalized departure To design a private tour, we'll ask you some more information in the following steps.

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GOOD TO KNOW Download trip notes

CANCELLATION

No additional cancellation fees apply for this Ancient & Modern Japan tour. You can cancel the tour up to 93 days prior departure and avoid paying the full amount, but your deposit paid is non-refundable. No refund applies for cancellations within 92 days of departure.

Payment

For any tour departures within 11 March 2024, full payment is required. For tours that depart later than 11 March 2024, a deposit of 25% is required to confirm this tour, and the remaining balance will be charged 92 days before trip departure.

Travel Insurance

Ancient & Modern Japan tour requires that you have adequate and valid travel insurance covering medical and personal accidents, including repatriation costs and emergency evacuation. We recommend using World Nomads' travel insurance.

Visa

For this Ancient & Modern Japan tour getting the required visa(s) is the responsibility for each individual traveller, as visa requirements vary depending on your nationality. We recommend to check with your local embassies representing the countries that you are traveling to, as part of this itinerary.

COVID-19 Safety Measures

This trip incorporates the following COVID-19 measures:

This tour has received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s ‘Safe Travels’ stamp, which provides travellers with assurance that COVID-19 health and hygiene protocols have been adhered to.
Group sizes are kept small to maintain a low risk ‘small group bubble’, with an average of 10 guests in each group.
Hygiene safety measures and distancing will be followed in transportation, accommodation and meal venues.
Several COVID-19 distancing measures have been adopted on this package tour to keep travellers safe.
All travellers will be required to be fully vaccinated no less than two weeks prior to travel.

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